Every
now and
then, it
pays to
revisit
the
past.
But in
this
case,
we’re
not
talking
the
roots of
jazz but
something
from
more
recent
history.
Lenny
White
Live
(BFM
Jazz,
2013)
was
recorded
from a
1997
performance
in
Japan.

The set
features
drummer
Lenny
White,
with a
lineup
of Mark
Ledford
on
trumpet,
Bennie
Maupin
on
saxophones,
Foley on
lead
bass,
Patrice
Rushen
and
Donald
Blackmon
on
keyboards
and
Victor
Bailey
on bass.

“Whew!
What a
Dream”
kicks
things
off.
Bailey’s
bass
lines
provide
the fuel
for this
energetic
piece.
White
shows
why he’s
one of
the
world’s
most
prolific
drummers
throughout
the
song,
especially
during
the
middle
break.
All the
players
are
fully
engaged,
with
Ledford,
Maupin,
Rushen
and
Blackman
contributing
solos as
well as
a
spirited
call-and-response
sequence
between
keyboard
and sax.
Toward
the end
of the
piece,
White
steps
out
again
during
an
exchange
with the
horn
synths.

“Pic
Pocket,”
written
by
Bailey,
features
some
muted
trumpet
by
Ledford
and more
of
Rushen’s
dexterity
on the
piano.
Ledford
also
offers a
wordless
chant
that
blends
with
Maupin’s
soprano
sax.

The set
also
includes
an
alternate
take on
“Whew!
What a
Dream,”
and a
21-minute
offering
of “East
St.
Louis.”
Each
song
presents
the
musicians
working
both as
a
cohesive
unit but
also as
highly
skilled
soloists.

White
laid the
foundation
for his
success
as a
member
of the
1970s
trio,
Return
to
Forever
with
Chick
Corea
and
Stanley
Clarke.
He later
fronted
his own
band,
Twennynine.
In the
past
year,
White
has used
his
influence
to bring
to the
forefront
two
European
jazz
artists,
vocalist
Letizia
Gambi
and
pianist
Beka
Gochiashvili.